`docker0` network interface is always *DOWN*, `Error locationg sandbox id ... not found`

[Babbili]

Description

on Linux Debian 13, Docker version 28.5.2, build ecc6942

docker0 network interface is always DOWN even if you have a container running on the bridge network.
please check screenshot below

when checking docker.service status we get a warning with the error message below, could be related

msg="error locating sandbox id 98f05a04268b7b0492388b9000587972c5783e14c7f2acb722bd4ddfbab3f3cd: sandbox 98f05a04268b7b0492388b9000587972c5783e14c7f2acb722bd4ddfbab3f3cd not found"

sudo systemctl status docker.service
#output 
● docker.service - Docker Application Container Engine
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/docker.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
     Active: active (running) since Fri 2025-11-07 19:31:41 +04; 2min 14s ago
 Invocation: 7ea7d31463584a0487913c37e19e6b2a
TriggeredBy: ● docker.socket
       Docs: https://docs.docker.com
   Main PID: 1760 (dockerd)
      Tasks: 13
     Memory: 102M (peak: 104.8M)
        CPU: 367ms
     CGroup: /system.slice/docker.service
             └─1760 /usr/bin/dockerd -H fd:// --containerd=/run/containerd/containerd.sock

Nov 07 19:31:40 DEB2BA4I2DLL dockerd[1760]: time="2025-11-07T19:31:40.385518599+04:00" level=info msg="[graphdriver] using prior storage driver: overlay2"
Nov 07 19:31:40 DEB2BA4I2DLL dockerd[1760]: time="2025-11-07T19:31:40.387956965+04:00" level=info msg="Loading containers: start."
Nov 07 19:31:41 DEB2BA4I2DLL dockerd[1760]: time="2025-11-07T19:31:41.016366318+04:00" level=warning msg="error locating sandbox id 98f05a04268b7b0492388b9000587972c5783e14c7f2acb722bd4ddfbab3f3cd: sandbox 98f05a04268b7b0492388b9000587972c5783e14c7f2acb722bd4ddfbab3f3cd not found"
Nov 07 19:31:41 DEB2BA4I2DLL dockerd[1760]: time="2025-11-07T19:31:41.016423305+04:00" level=info msg="Loading containers: done."
Nov 07 19:31:41 DEB2BA4I2DLL dockerd[1760]: time="2025-11-07T19:31:41.026789335+04:00" level=info msg="Docker daemon" commit=89c5e8f containerd-snapshotter=false storage-driver=overlay2 version=28.5.2
Nov 07 19:31:41 DEB2BA4I2DLL dockerd[1760]: time="2025-11-07T19:31:41.026926852+04:00" level=info msg="Initializing buildkit"
Nov 07 19:31:41 DEB2BA4I2DLL dockerd[1760]: time="2025-11-07T19:31:41.048686243+04:00" level=info msg="Completed buildkit initialization"
Nov 07 19:31:41 DEB2BA4I2DLL dockerd[1760]: time="2025-11-07T19:31:41.052903288+04:00" level=info msg="Daemon has completed initialization"
Nov 07 19:31:41 DEB2BA4I2DLL dockerd[1760]: time="2025-11-07T19:31:41.052957389+04:00" level=info msg="API listen on /run/docker.sock"
Nov 07 19:31:41 DEB2BA4I2DLL systemd[1]: Started docker.service - Docker Application Container Engine.

restarting docker.service also didn't bring docker0 UP, nor updating

Reproduce

1. on Linux Debian 13, docker run a container on the default bridge network
2. ip a show docker0
   its status is DOWN which is affecting connectivity

Expected behavior

dev docker0 should be UP when we're having a container running on the bridge network.

docker version

Client: Docker Engine - Community
 Version:           28.5.2
 API version:       1.51
 Go version:        go1.25.3
 Git commit:        ecc6942
 Built:             Wed Nov  5 14:43:33 2025
 OS/Arch:           linux/amd64
 Context:           desktop-linux

Server: Docker Desktop 4.47.0 (206054)
 Engine:
  Version:          28.4.0
  API version:      1.51 (minimum version 1.24)
  Go version:       go1.24.7
  Git commit:       249d679
  Built:            Wed Sep  3 20:57:37 2025
  OS/Arch:          linux/amd64
  Experimental:     false
 containerd:
  Version:          1.7.27
  GitCommit:        05044ec0a9a75232cad458027ca83437aae3f4da
 runc:
  Version:          1.2.5
  GitCommit:        v1.2.5-0-g59923ef
 docker-init:
  Version:          0.19.0
  GitCommit:        de40ad0

docker info

Client: Docker Engine - Community
 Version:    28.5.2
 Context:    desktop-linux
 Debug Mode: false
 Plugins:
  ai: Docker AI Agent - Ask Gordon (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.9.11
    Path:     /home/babbili/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-ai
  buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.28.0-desktop.1
    Path:     /home/babbili/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx
  cloud: Docker Cloud (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.4.29
    Path:     /home/babbili/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-cloud
  compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v2.39.4-desktop.1
    Path:     /home/babbili/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
  debug: Get a shell into any image or container (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  0.0.42
    Path:     /home/babbili/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-debug
  desktop: Docker Desktop commands (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.0
    Path:     /home/babbili/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-desktop
  extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.31
    Path:     /home/babbili/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-extension
  init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.4.0
    Path:     /home/babbili/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-init
  mcp: Docker MCP Plugin (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.21.0
    Path:     /home/babbili/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-mcp
  sbom: View the packaged-based Software Bill Of Materials (SBOM) for an image (Anchore Inc.)
    Version:  0.6.0
    Path:     /home/babbili/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-sbom
  scout: Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.18.3
    Path:     /home/babbili/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-scout

Server:
 Containers: 1
  Running: 1
  Paused: 0
  Stopped: 0
 Images: 4
 Server Version: 28.4.0
 Storage Driver: overlayfs
  driver-type: io.containerd.snapshotter.v1
 Logging Driver: json-file
 Cgroup Driver: cgroupfs
 Cgroup Version: 2
 Plugins:
  Volume: local
  Network: bridge host ipvlan macvlan null overlay
  Log: awslogs fluentd gcplogs gelf journald json-file local splunk syslog
 CDI spec directories:
  /etc/cdi
  /var/run/cdi
 Discovered Devices:
  cdi: docker.com/gpu=webgpu
 Swarm: inactive
 Runtimes: io.containerd.runc.v2 runc
 Default Runtime: runc
 Init Binary: docker-init
 containerd version: 05044ec0a9a75232cad458027ca83437aae3f4da
 runc version: v1.2.5-0-g59923ef
 init version: de40ad0
 Security Options:
  seccomp
   Profile: builtin
  cgroupns
 Kernel Version: 6.10.14-linuxkit
 Operating System: Docker Desktop
 OSType: linux
 Architecture: x86_64
 CPUs: 8
 Total Memory: 3.666GiB
 Name: docker-desktop
 ID: f5daa3d8-dcf5-4691-ae1a-04622daf3972
 Docker Root Dir: /var/lib/docker
 Debug Mode: false
 HTTP Proxy: http.docker.internal:3128
 HTTPS Proxy: http.docker.internal:3128
 No Proxy: hubproxy.docker.internal
 Labels:
  com.docker.desktop.address=unix:///home/babbili/.docker/desktop/docker-cli.sock
 Experimental: false
 Insecure Registries:
  hubproxy.docker.internal:5555
  ::1/128
  127.0.0.0/8
 Live Restore Enabled: false

Additional Info

No response

[Babbili]

just an update on this, most likely it's a permission thing as by running sudo docker run ...
it brings the docker0 network interface UP, but it's uncommon to run sudo behind docker.

dockerd i guess is the one bringing UP the network interface, and it's root owned.

could be on my end, but my user is added to docker group sudo usermod -aG docker $USER and docker run cannot bring docker0 UP without sudo.
or could be an issue